Source: PhD Comics

I’ve finished my last elective and am now ready to start the final project this fall. Researching my topic and finalizing the paper will take until early 2012.

There’s no question that a graduate program is extremely challenging mentally. There’s all sorts of information to soak in and apply leaving little time for anything else. For me personally, there has been a lot of frustration and stress chasing a master’s degree, but it’s been a rewarding experience.

Some advice for anyone looking into the MACT program or any other graduate studies:

1. Have a plan. Working full time and coming home to readings, assignments and groupwork takes a lot of time. Plan out your course work and stick to it.

2. Make time for your own stuff. You’ll have to sacrifice a lot so the challenge is figuring out what you can and can’t cut out.

3. Book a time slot in the week for catching up on stuff. Your studying time will get pushed around a lot, so be ready to make-up for it.

4. Use your cohort and faculty for support. It might be tough to explain to family and friends why you’re spending all that money on a graduate program, let alone what exactly you’re studying.

5. Choose a topic you genuinely want to research. You’ll be spending hours and hours studying it, so make it enjoyable. Motivation to read a 30+ page article can be difficult to find, so do something you have a real interest in.

It’s an exciting time to be a graduate student. Traditional methods of learning  are still around, but its worth exploring the new methods and tools available to students. I found that a lot of topics in communications and technology remain unchartered and students have the freedom to explore these areas further.